'God of Carnage'

Hanover College Theatre Department

Joshua Anderson, (clockwise from left) Sofia Secord, Emily Bumgardener and Gray Schierholt pose for a picture from a scene in the upcoming Hanover College production of “God of Carnage.” (Staff photo by Ken Ritchie/kritchie@madisoncourier.com)

Hanover College Theatre will perform the Tony Award-winning comedy "God of Carnage" at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Parker Auditorium.

The show involves two couples who meet after one couple's son hits the other couple's son in the mouth with a stick. The couples meet up to discuss the incident. As the alcohol flows, arguments begin and the anger grows, resulting in a tumultuous evening.

The show stars Emily Bumgardner and Gray Schierholt as Annette and Allan Raleigh and Sofia Secord and Josh Anderson as Veronica and Michael Novak.

The show is being directed by Nichole Marquez, a senior at Hanover. This is the biggest production she has directed, having done a one-act show at Hanover and several productions in high school.

"Certainly not a main-stage production," she said.

The show was originally going to be directed by a Hanover professor, but Marquez said he had another commitment come up and had to back out.

Marquez said the show has funny and serious moments tied together.

"It's a comedy in a sense. The absurdity of it ... certainly makes for some dark comedy. But there are serious things that are being argued about," she said.

Some of the topics that the characters argue about include world issues and parenting techniques, she said.

"This has been a wonderful experience for me and everyone involved," she said.

The show contains adult language and sexual situations, including one scene with a "really awesome vomit scene," Marquez said. But the show has more to offer than just that scene.

"There's more to it than just the awesome vomit," she said.

The show was written by Yasmina Reza and was first performed in Zurich in 2006. The show opened on Broadway in 2009, and was turned into a feature film in 2011, directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet.

General admission tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors over 65 and $5 for youths 18 years old and younger. Performances are free to season subscribers of the Community Arts Series and to those with a current Hanover College ID.

Information and advance ticket reservations are available by calling the Hanover box office at (812) 866-7110 or online at www.hanover.edu/ARTS. Tickets will also be available at the door before each performance.